Posts from Roasting

Whether they come from your grocery store, your garden, or your neighbor's garden (if you're lucky!), you will soon be overrun with zucchini. This time of year, zucchini are plentiful and that's probably an understatement.

These easy grilled zucchini boats stuffed with ground beef, cheddar cheese, and salsa are one of my favorite ways to burn through a big pile of summer zucchini.

This recipe is about trust. Because I know okra can be a tough sell. I get it. And I'm not going to tell you that these grilled okra spears taste like French fries or anything else — they taste like okra. Which I happen to love.

I love their earthy and undeniably green flavor. I love the charred bits that get crispy on the grill (which are, admittedly, rather fry-like). I love the way the seeds pop between my teeth. This is the recipe that made fall in love with okra. Trust me on this one.

My favorite recipes are the ones I call fancy-not-fancy. A little luxurious, but so quick and easy they might actually qualify as 15-minute meals. Roasted shrimp scampi is the perfect example of fancy-not-fancy — ultra quick, and ridiculously good, with broiled shrimp swimming in garlicky white wine and butter, with parsley and flecks of red pepper.

When I started planning the menu for the afternoon baby shower I hosted for our latest Gatherings from The Kitchn, I knew I wanted to serve salmon. High in omega-3 fats and low in mercury, salmon is a great choice for pregnant women who are confused about which fish they can and should be eating.

But this recipe isn't just for pregnant women, of course. On a bed of crisp greens, alongside cold roasted asparagus, a piece of this mustard-brushed salmon is terribly elegant. It's also just as good cold as it is hot, making it an easy option for a picnic or a warm-weather dinner.

People close to me know I have a small soapbox I keep (figuratively) tucked away for times when I hear someone say, “Oh, I’ve wanted to make that recipe but it looks hard.” I then launch into a five minute diatribe on why it’s not and how to tackle it, with enough enthusiasm to convince that person it’s actually quite easy. Spring rolls are one such "hard" item I’ve convinced numerous people to make — and enjoy!

A perfectly cooked beef tenderloin is truly a sight to behold. The delectable cut often made special occasion appearances when I was growing up, but Easter Sunday and its rosy-hued tenderloin tea sandwiches was always a holiday favorite.

Roasting radishes may be one of my favorite spring treats. The bite of raw radishes gives way to a sweet, earthy flavor once they've spent some time in the oven. An omelet might seem like an odd pairing for these radishes, but I love the roasted radish flavor alongside eggs and herbs.

Want a big pan of roasted vegetables that are soft and caramelized, with irresistibly crispy, browned edges? Then pull out your blackest, most battered baking sheet because it's the best way to bake up perfect roasted vegetables.

This recipe is a classic example of cooking by feel. I had some goat cheese left over from an appetizer, and I found fresh, green garlic at the farmer's market. So I came up with a way to use them together — stuffed inside some bone-in chicken breasts.

It's really remarkable the way a little garlic and goat cheese can transform a plain and unglamorous chicken breast!